How to bake polymer clay: temperature, time and tips
Polymer clay doesn't harden in the air, only in the oven. With the right temperature and baking time your creations turn out sturdy and keep their colours. An adult always does the baking.
- preheated oven, never above 130 °C
- 120–125 °C
- per 6 mm of thickness, max. 30 min
- 15 min
- not suitable for children under 8
- 8+
How to bake polymer clay, step by step
Preheat the oven
An adult preheats the oven to 120–125 °C and checks the temperature with an oven thermometer. Never go above 130 °C.
Place your creations on baking paper
Place your creations on baking paper on a baking tray, still outside the oven. Only put the tray in once the oven is fully up to temperature.
Bake by thickness
Allow 15 minutes per 6 mm of thickness, based on the thickest part. Keep your creation 12 mm thick or less, so you never bake longer than 30 minutes.
Let in fresh air
Open a window while baking. Don't bake clay and food at the same time, and clean the oven afterwards.
Let it cool slowly
An adult takes the tray out of the oven. Put the creations on a heat-resistant surface and let them cool by themselves, not in cold water. The clay is only fully hard once it has cooled completely.
How long does polymer clay need in the oven?
Baking time depends on thickness. Measure the thickest part and use these times at 120–125 °C:
| Thickest part | Baking time |
|---|---|
| up to 6 mm | 15 minutes |
| 12 mm | 30 minutes |
| thicker than 12 mm | don't bake: make it thinner |
Best avoided
- No air fryer and never the microwave: oven only.
- Don't go hotter than 130 °C or longer than 30 minutes, not even to save time.
- Don't use a glass thermometer: use an oven thermometer with a dial.
- Don't bake clay and food at the same time.
- Don't put clay on the baking tray without baking paper.
- Don't cool warm creations in cold water.
- Children leave the oven work to an adult.
When it doesn't go to plan
Still soft straight out of the oven?
That's normal. Polymer clay only becomes fully hard as it cools. Let it cool completely before you test or bend it.
Crumbly or breaks easily?
Often the baking time was too short for the thickness. Check the thickest part and allow 15 minutes per 6 mm, never longer than 30 minutes. Was your creation thicker than 12 mm? Make it thinner next time.
Brown or discoloured?
The oven was probably too hot. Preheat to 120–125 °C and never go above 130 °C. The dial doesn't always match the real temperature; check it with an oven thermometer.
These temperatures and times apply to the clay in the Craftiverse Polymer Clay Kit. Using clay from another brand? Always follow the instructions on that packaging.
Frequently asked questions about baking clay
Yes. Polymer clay is oven-bake clay: it doesn't air-dry and stays soft until you bake it.
An adult preheats the oven to 120–125 °C. Never go above 130 °C and check the temperature with an oven thermometer.
15 minutes per 6 mm of thickness. A small figure up to 6 mm thick takes 15 minutes; a part 12 mm thick takes 30 minutes. Never bake longer than 30 minutes, so keep your creations 12 mm thick or less.
No. Only bake polymer clay in the oven, never in an air fryer or microwave.
On baking paper on a baking tray. Not directly on the metal.
Yes. Our supplier confirmed that the metal parts in this kit (eye pins and key rings) can go in the oven. Push the eye pin into the soft clay before baking: the clay sets around it in the oven. The cord and beads are not heat-resistant; attach those only once the piece has cooled completely.
No, an adult does the oven work. The kit is not suitable for children under 8, and modelling is done under adult supervision.
Preheat to 120–125 °C and check with an oven thermometer. Stay below 130 °C, don't bake longer than 30 minutes or together with food, put the clay on baking paper and open a window. Clean the oven afterwards.
Well sealed, somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight.
Polymer Clay Kit – 82 Colours
€39.95incl. VAT
82 colours of oven-bake clay, a work mat, a roller, sculpting tools and keyring parts in a storage box. Not suitable for children under 8; an adult does the baking.